On the pulse

At the RCN Congress in Liverpool this week, some of the most pressing issues facing the nursing profession were on the agenda. In particular, two stories covered by Nursing Times highlighted the need for greater awareness of the value of some nursing roles.

MRSA infections at all-time low

HPA statistics for June showed only 97 cases across the NHS - the first time it has been less than 100 since records began in 2001.

The same month in 2010 saw 134 infections.

The end of June also saw 25 hospital trusts complete a year without a single hospital-acquired infection - just over a sixth of acute trusts.

Ten of these organisations are specialist trusts which tend to have a lower volume of patients and no A&E department.

C. difficile cases fell from 2,001 in June 2010 to 1,681 this June, the HPA said.

Health secretary Andrew Lansley said: “I have been calling for a zero-tolerance approach to avoidable healthcare associated infections since 2004. Now, just over one year into the coalition government, MRSA bloodstream infections in the NHS are at their lowest level since records began with fewer than 100 infections in a single month for the first time.

“This sustained pattern of falling infections across the health service is good news. However, the variation between the very best in the country and the very worst is still unacceptably high. So while progress has been made, we must do better to shrink this gap and improve standards for all.”

The 25 acute trusts that had no trust-acquired MRSA infections between June 2010 and June 2011 are:

The drug linezolid (Zyvox) may be more effective at treating patients with MRSA nosocomial pneumonia than the current gold standard vancomycin, according to trial results published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.

A series of NHS trusts have been recognised for their commitment to care for the armed forces community as part of an initiative which is working to help “brave veterans win their personal battles” in health.

A new beareavement care pathway for pregnacy and baby loss “must” be rolled out nationally, according to a report, but midwives have warned that funding should be invested into their training to support the move.

New data is needed to demonstrate the true value of a district nursing service looking at “positive outcomes” that often go unnoticed such as how many patients receive end of life care in their own homes, leaders have urged.

Readers' comments (1)

Anonymous4 August, 2011 12:40 pm

Should the worst happen and the HCAI rates go up again next year (touch wood they don't) will Mr Lansley take the credit for that on behalf of the Government too?

I think that claim might just come back and bite him on the ass.... I hope for the sake of our patients that he isn't forced to eat humble pie during his tenure in Government.

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